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“I also hope that cricket fans back in Pakistan and around the world will follow me during this first CPL season.” -Photo by AFP

Pakistan’s T20 captain Mohammad Hafeez has become the fourth international 'franchise player' to join the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 tournament.

Hafeez, who has enjoyed a prolific run in T20s for Pakistan, currently ranks No. 2 behind Australia’s Shane Watson in the standings for allrounders. He has scored 1013 runs in 43 matches while his record in T20s is even better, his 35 wickets in 43 matches coming at an average of 22.14.

“The 2010 World T20 allowed me the experience playing T20 in the Caribbean and I am looking forward to playing there once again,” Hafeez said.

“The people in the West Indies love their cricket and I am sure the fans will get behind their teams. I also hope that cricket fans back in Pakistan and around the world will follow me during this first CPL season.”

The other international cricketers who have committed to playing in the league - and have been assigned icon or 'franchise player' status as well - are Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Ross Taylor.

The CPL is set to begin on July 29 and run till August 26.

The tournament involves six franchise countries across the Caribbean: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago. The teams will all have one local and one international franchise player each. The players have not been assigned teams yet.